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Shor
Shor is the Nordic representation of the god Lorkhan, who after his creation of the mortal realm of Nirn took sides with the forefathers of Men in the Ehlnofey Wars of the Dawn Era.Varieties of Faith in the Empire He is considered the husband of the goddess Kyne (Kynareth) by the Ancient Nordic Pantheon, and is the embodiment of the afterlife of Sovngarde.Sovngarde, a Reexamination Legend and lore According to Nordic legend, the "Elven Giants" (i.e. the Aldmeri Pantheon), harboring bitterness against Shor for his creation of the mortal plane of Nirn, conspired against Lorkhan and brought about the god's demise at Red Mountain in the Dawn Era, dooming Shor to the underworld.Five Songs of King Wulfharth Storms and rain, natural phenomena associated with the goddess Kyne, are said to have first begun to occur after these legendary events. Ancient Atmoran tradition depicts Shor as a bloodthirsty warrior-god, who led the descendants of the Wandering Ehlnofey (the Men) to victory over their Old Ehlnofey (the Mer) oppressors time and again. Due to this close association with the races of Men, Lorkhan is sometimes also referred to as the Children's God. Before his doom, Shor was called the King of the Gods, a title which has only been attributed to one other divinity; Akatosh. Together with Akatosh, Lorkhan is one of two deities that are mentioned in the religious traditions of all cultures in Tamriel.The Monomyth Universally recognized as the divinity most responsible for the world's creation, interpretations of Shor differ between the cultures of Men and Mer in particular: The former often view him as a patron and fallen hero-god to mortal kind, whereas the latter uniformly vilify him as a trickster or demon-god, responsible for separating their immortal essence from the spirit world.Spirit of NirnThe Lunar Lorkhan Beliefs involving Shor The afterlife of Sovngarde is believed by Nordic culture to be a divine covenant between Lorkhan (Shor) and the descendants of Wandering Ehlnofey who fought at Shor's side in the Dawn Era (most commonly, the Atmorans and their own descendants, the Nords).A Dream of Sovngarde This ancient belief holds that those of Men, who are linked by ancestry to these Ehlnofey, upon death find their souls judged not by how they lived but by how they died. Hence, the souls of such mortals who fall in battle or die fighting for their beliefs are given passage to the afterlife of Sovngarde per Shor's decree, where in Lorkhan's own image, they earn a place in Sovngarde's Hall of Valor among the fallen heroes of Men. Shor may be considered the de facto ruler of this afterlife of Sovngarde, as other divinities who hearken back to the Dawn Era, such as Tsun, also reside there and they refer to Lorkhan as their sovereign. This is a surprising revelation, as Shor's continuing active agency in his realm runs counter to Lorkhan's status as a "dead" god. This may be due to the fact that the Aedra can be killed as part of the divine contract of creation, meaning they too may have access to an afterlife of their own making, unlike the Daedra.Aedra and Daedra Among Nords, as well as others who can trace lineage to the Ehlnofey that stood at Lorkhan's side, Shor is often held in great reverence. Venerated as a Chief-God alongside Akatosh despite his status as "deceased," and as the noble Lord of Sovngarde, many Nordic characters are heard to swear by Shor, and his name is regularly invoked in expressions of emotion. On several of the Word Walls that were erected by the ancient Nords during the Merethic Era, references to Lorkhan are inscribed in the Dragon Language, in which Shor is referred to as the "hoar father." Tellingly, one such inscription upon the Word Walls translates as follows: "Noble Nord, remember these words of the hoar father: Fear not the specter of death, for he is the herald of glory and your guide to great Sovngarde."Dismay Word Wall Relationship to Sovngarde , Shor's shield-thane, guarding the path to the Hall of Valor.]] Although Shor is the ruler and creator of the afterlife of Sovngarde, he is not encountered by the Dragonborn when venturing into the realm in pursuit of Alduin during the events of , with only his vacant throne being found in the Hall of Valor. The spirits of the Atmoran and Nord heroes who dwell within Shor's hall will remark upon the absence of the god, stating that Shor's light would blind the Dragonborn's mortal eyes.Dialogue with Heroes of Sovngarde The ancient Nordic god of trials against adversity, Tsun, who had been Shor's shield-thane during the Dawn Era and now guards the whalebone bridge leading to the Hall of Valor, recounts to the Dragonborn that no few among the souls of the heroes in Sovngarde were eager to confront Alduin as the dragon entered their domain, but that their wrath was restrained by Shor; who apparently had foreseen the "fateful errant" of the Dovahkiin.Dialogue with Tsun Bardic traditions Shor's Tongue Shor's Tongue is the first of five songs that recount the tale of the Nordic king Wulfharth, dating back to 1E 500. After the defeat of the Alessian army at Glenumbria Moors, where King Hoag Merkiller was slain, Wulfharth of Atmora was elected by the Pact of Chieftains. His Thu'um was so powerful that he could not verbally swear into the office, and scribes were used to draw up his oaths. Immediately thereafter, bards scribed the first law of his reign: a fiery reinstatement of the traditional Nordic Pantheon. The edicts of the Alessian Order were outlawed, their priests put to the stake, and their halls set ablaze. The shadow of King Borgas had ended for a span. For his zealotry, Wulfharth was called "Shor's Tongue," and Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Axioms *"Shor's bones(!)" is a common exclamation amongst Nords, generally used to express surprise or shock. Trivia *Shor's Stone, a small community in , is named after him. A nearby watchtower, Shor's Watchtower, is also named after him. de:Shor es:Shor ru:Шор pl:Shor